Northern Madagascar - Madagascar - page 296

Consequently, Antalaha is the starting point for some treks into Masoala, but the majority
begin in Maroantsetra, which offers better access to the coastal lodges and Nosy Ve, as well
as the relative calm of the Baie d'Antongil.
TOURS
Bureau de Liaison de Parc National de Masoala HIKING
( 032 41 800 81; Ave de l'Indépendance) Arranges treks into Masoala park, including
permits and guides. Fees are the same as entering from Maroantsetra.
Pharmacy Kam-Hyo TOUR
Marie-Hélène, at this pharmacy in the centre of town, arranges tours of the local vanilla
plant, or anything else you may happen to need. Definitely a new take on the tourist in-
formation centre.
CAP EST
Remote and beautiful Cap Est is Madagascar's easternmost point. You can get
here by hiring a car or taking a four-hour taxi-brousse ride south from Antalaha.
Hotels here are routinely destroyed by cyclones, but at the time of writing the
basic Hotel du Voyageur was still standing. The nearby town of Ambodirafia
has an MNP office that can provide you with all the necessary information and
support (guides, porters) for treks down the peninsula's east coast. The walk
from here to the very tip of the peninsula, Cap Masoala, takes about four days,
camping along the way, with numerous rivers that must be crossed by pirogue.
From there you have to either return, or continue around the peninsula to
Maroantsetra, a hard but adventurous slog that could take another four to six
days. Cargo boats also leave intermittently from Cap Masoala for Maroantsetra.
SLEEPING & EATING
Hazovola HOTEL €€
( 032 41 287 11; www.hotelantalaha.com ; d incl breakfast Ar70,000, mains from
Ar11,000; ) The best hotel in town. Rooms have nice tiled baths, balconies, and flat-
screen TVs. Locals praise the restaurant.